The Coca Cola Popstars music talent show in South Africa ignited the flame of five young artists who transformed the genre of pop music in Mzansi!
The music talent show began in 2004 and was one of the first few music platforms for upcoming artists in South Africa. The Popstars show was particularly different at the time because it held auditions in predominantly black communities, like Soweto and Alexandra in Gauteng. The show gave rise to diverse music groups and styles coming together to create a unique sound that would influence the future of music culture in South Africa.
The band 101 was made up of vocalists Kurt Herman (Cape Town); Preston "Vusi" Sihlangu (Bloemfontein); Erin Samson (Cape Town); Ntumiseng "Tumi" Mokhasipe (Johannesburg) and Pamela "Pam" Andrews, who were all musically introduced on the show. The individual characters and appearance of the members challenged the stereotype of “star quality”. The band name is significant of all the members’ ages combined together. They decided to title their debut album this to signify a milestone in their musical careers. 101 was the first group to win the competition, and soon after released a music video for their debut song “Who’s It Gonna Be?”, officially breaking into the local scene of pop.
The songs in the album produce a mix of fast and slow tempo songs. Songs like “Can I Come Over?”, “What If?” and “The Goodbye Song” are deeply written lyrical records, which create a soulful tone to the album. One is able to feel a sense of relativity in the moments described in each song. The pop infused instrumentals in songs like “When I’ve Got You” and “Don’t be looking for Love” add an exciting feel to the flavour of the album.
Track 12, the last song on the album is titled “The Goodbye Song”. The sound of snare drums in the beginning holds my attention to the song each time, as the warm tone of vocalist
Preston Sihlangu sings “how do you say goodbye to someone close to you?”. The lyrics are filled with striking phrases and questions which challenge the emotions and reactions brought
about by the relationships and experiences in one’s life. Track 4, titles “Can I Come Over” describes the vulnerability in loneliness and the natural human desire for intimacy. The overall album values human connection.
Unfortunately South African music groups tend to mimic a flame and burn out soon after the sensation simmers down. Like many artists after them, the 101 group did not last very long in the industry, and signed out with their first album as their last album. This is indicative of the kind of music industry in Mzansi. The talent of many artists is not nurtured by the music labels, society and other contributing sponsors. Where is longevity in the local music produced?
Although 101 appeared to have fallen in between the cracks of the music industry, they were one of the influential pop groups of South Africa in 2004. This album is one to listen to, opening you up to an introspection of your connections, motives and thoughts.
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